pôs

Pós is a term in Portuguese that has two main uses, depending on its function in a sentence.

As a prefix, pós- means “after” or “subsequent to.” It is used to form words that denote a later stage, status, or condition relative to something else. Examples include pós-graduação (postgraduate studies), pós-doutorado (postdoctoral), pós-operatório (postoperative), and pós-moderno (postmodern). The prefix derives from Latin post- and is typically written with a hyphen in many orthographic styles, especially when attached to a word beginning with a vowel, as in pós-operatório or pós-graduação. This usage is common in both Brazilian and European Portuguese, though specific hyphenation rules can vary by style guide.

As a noun, pós is the plural form of pó, meaning powder or fine dust. In this sense, pós refers to multiple powders, such as talco em pó (talc powder) or pigment powders. In ordinary speech, pó is often treated as an uncountable substance, but when discussing several distinct powders, the plural pós may be heard or seen in written language.

Origins and usage note: the prefix pós-, with its accent on the o, emphasizes the afterrelation and is a productive derivational morpheme in contemporary Portuguese. The two senses—prefix indicating subsequent status and plural of pó meaning powder—are distinct, and context usually clarifies which meaning is intended.